*Newtown band SIDESHOW returns to the road this weekend, playing at The Corner Pocket in Orange tonight (Friday, October 10). The guys will be at Black Rock & Blue in Bridgeport next Friday.

*Speaking of events coming up next weekend, HAT CITY BLUES BAND has gotten some strong support from Stella Artois, the top-selling Belgian beer in the world. The brewery has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of Hat City Blues’ OktoberFest, which will be held at the Fireside Inn in Newtown on Saturday, October 18. The official name of the event is now Hat City Blues’ OktoberFest, Presented by Stella Artois (pronounced “arr-twa,” by the way).

Cover charge for the OktoberFest Celebration has been reduced to $7 per person. A light menu will be served. The event will run from 7:30 to 11 pm.

Hat City Blues Band member David Lott said last week that the addition of a major sponsor for the band’s show, which he termed an “exciting new development,” was “a wonderful endorsement of Hat City Blues Band’s attempt to take matters into our own hands and put on our own show in light of the recent demise of several local blues venues.”

*Also playing out next weekend will be Newtown-based GIA, who will be at MisFitz Café in Southbury on Friday, October 17. Showtime is scheduled for 9:30 and there is no cover charge to get in. The bar and grille is on Oak Tree Road, next to Bullet Hill Supply and behind Hines Brothers Garage; call 264-4300 if you need better directions.

*“Who needs a Halloween costume when you can put on a funky wig, platform shoes and a glitter dress?” Who indeed?

That was the question presented to me this week by Kathy Budy, who went on in her email to discuss the inevitable reunion of everyone’s favorite funky band, MOPPIN’ SAUCE.

It’s true! The Halloween event at The Red Door Café in Watertown will feature original members Kathy (“The Diva,” with lead vocals), Glenn “Dr Fong” Dean (lead vocals and percussion), Ed “Where’s Ed?” Zand (trombone), Cas Stevens (sax), Chris Morrison (guitar) and Bob Henderson (drums). The performance will also feature Mitch Taub on bass.

The band played a number of Halloween shows at Fat Daddy’s in Watertown (1998, 1999 and 2000), so fans of the band will be able to find The Red Door Café considering the café is at the location of the former Fat Daddy’s – 675 Main Street. Expect to enjoy the same high energy music and fantastic costumes these folks presented a few years ago. Kathy mentioned the rehearsals are going great and band members are looking forward to seeing plenty of friends and fans. Showtime is 10 pm.

*Tickets are on sale for an all-ages THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, October 26. All seats are $25; call The Aldrich Museum at 203-438-4519 or visit www.AldrichArt.org for details.

*Tickets are still available for the MATCHBOX TWENTY show at Arena at Harbor Yard next weekend. Tuesday’s show will open at 7:30 with a set by FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE. Tickets range from $36.50 to $47.50 and available through TicketMaster.com or the arena’s box office, 203-382-9600.

*Tickets for the DAVID BOWIE concert at Mohegan Sun Arena mentioned here a few weeks ago are going on sale this weekend. The show will be on December 16, and tickets are priced at $55 and $75; on-sale begins Saturday, October 11, at 10 am.  Mohegan Sun uses tickets.com as its vendor so go online or contact the ticket company on the phone at 800-477-6849.

The SIMON & GARFUNKEL show at Mohegan Sun Arena on November 29 is being listed as officially sold out, but there are a handful of scattered single seats that provide a rear state view of the performance still available. Contact tickets.com for details.

*A late announcement of show and ticket on-sale came in after deadline last week: PHIL LESH & FRIENDS (Lesh, Rob Barraco, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring and John Molo) will be at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford on Wednesday, November 26. Showtime is 7 pm.

All tickets are $38.50 and available through the Oakdale box office (in person or call 203-265-1501), or through tickets.com.

Still available are tickets for the November 24 GODSMACK concert, with ADEMA opening. All seats are $30.

Until next week I’ll be seeing you… on the road.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks c/o The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470, or shannon@thebee.com, or call the office at 426-3141.

Shows listed at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

OCTOBER 10 — SideShow at The Corner Pocket, Orange; Mudvayne at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Powerman 5000 and V-Shaped Mind opening (all ages); Satellite at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Patty Larkin with Greg Greenway at UHartford’s Wilde Auditorium, West Hartford; Kris Delmhorst at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, Jabe Breyer opening;

October 11 — Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction; Steve Forbert at The Acoustic Café;

October 12 — Matt Nathanson at The Acoustic Café (two shows, 5 and 7:30 pm);

October 14 — Matchbox Twenty at The Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Fountains of Wayne opening;

October 16 — The Dent at The Acoustic Café;

October 17 — SideShow at Black Rock & Blue, Bridgeport; Gia at MisFitz Café, Southbury; India.Arie at UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, Storrs; Off The Hook at Rathskeller, Southbury; Entrain at Tuxedo Junction; Little Buster’s Rhythm & Blues Expo at The Webster Theater (all ages); Dana Pomfret at UHartford’s Wilde Auditorium; Dave’s True Story and Richard Julian at The Acoustic Café;

October 18 — Hat City Blues Band at Fireside Inn, Newtown; India.Arie at Foxwoods’ Fox Theatre; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; Housewives On Prozac at The Acoustic Café;

October 19 — Brett Michaels (of Poison) at The Webster Theatre, Buff Daddy opening; Tower Of Power at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Andy Stochansky at The Acoustic Café;

October 22 — Bob Weir and Ratdog at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

October 23 — 3 Doors Down at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, Seether and Shinedown opening; Doobie Brothers at The Warner Theatre, Torrington; Cast Iron Filter at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Chelsea Genzano, Jenn Lindsay and Natalia Zuckerman at The Acoustic Café;

October 24 — Off The Hook at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Blue Oyster Cult at Tuxedo Junction; The Kennedys at Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford; Big Shot at Toad’s Place; Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem at UHartford’s Wilde Auditorium, The Roadbirds opening; Liam Bailey and Friends and Mike Dougherty at The Acoustic Café (separate sets);

October 25 — SideShow at The Thirsty Turtle, Stamford; The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction; The Debbie Davies Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Keller Williams at The Webster Theatre; Aztec Two-Step at The Acoustic Café;

October 26 — They Might Be Giants at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield; Twisted Sister at The Webster Theatre, Sebastian Bach opening (all ages); Tom Rush at The Acoustic Café;

October 28 — Queensryche at The Webster Theater, Echo 7 opening; Alice Cooper at SCA’s Palace Theatre, Stamford, Silvertide opening;

October 30 — Jackson Browne at Stamford Center for the Arts’ Palace Theatre, Stamford; ModeRenko at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

October 31 — Off The Hook at Carl Anthony’s; Moppin’ Sauce at The Red Door Café, Watertown; Halloween Party at Tuxedo Junction featuring The Gyst; Annual Kooks & Spooks Convention at Toad’s Place, bands TBA; Psychedelic Breakfast at The Webster Theatre; Raisin Hill at The Acoustic Café.